Story: Alison’s Attitude Adjustment. Part 3.

by Charles Ryder

Alison Templeman-Davies was sweating. She could feel the moisture making her thick, heavy uniform stick to her back. She could feel perspiration running from underneath her demeaning cap and matting her blonde hair. Her arms were beginning to tremble as well which only added to her discomfort. She had been stood in the same place for over an hour, feet together, bottom in and her chest pushed out. In her arms she carried a round tray on which was a large jug of iced lemonade. Despite the heat of the room she was dressed in an Oriental approximation of a Victorian maid’s uniform. High-heeled black ankle boots which chafed horribly, black seamed stockings, knee length white bloomers, a restrictive corset, a black serge dress which was long-sleeved and reached to her calves. Her black uniform was relieved only by a white lace Peter Pan collar, a starched white apron tied with a large bow and the cap, complete with long ribbons which was perched on her head.

Yang Xe looked at her maid with a certain amount of pride. She’d researched ‘English Maid’ on the internet and then had paid a local dressmaker to design a uniform especially for Alison. How foolish she looked, how subservient. The real pleasure though was the reaction of her good friend Liang Li. The poor woman was absolutely furious. Every one of their social class and wealth had servants, they were very common and not worth mentioning. But she, Yang Xe, was the proud owner of an English servant, and what’s more an English servant dressed in the actual uniform of an English maidservant. The joy was enough to make her heart flutter. She picked up the little silver bell by her hand and rang it a couple of times. Her maid immediately left her place by the window and scurried over to where  her mistress and her two guests lay comfortably reclined. Carefully she knelt by Yang Xe’s elbow and held the tray up so it was within easy reach.

Yang Xe couldn’t help but notice the angry reaction on the face of her two guests. Both Liang Li and her daughter, Lily were clearly envious.

“What do you think of my new servant, Li?”

“She is obedient to be sure, but why is she so big? She’s like a little elephant in a dress.”

Yang Xe couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s accurate observation.

“A lot of English girls at school are like her mummy. That’s just how they are.”

Lily attended a prestigious international school in Hong Kong and was rather dismissive of the Western girls who boarded there. They were in her opinion quite stupid, loud and unsophisticated, barbarians really. She liked the idea of a Western servant but she was vaguely annoyed that the Yang’s had one before they did. Perhaps she could persuade her doting father?

“Well I don’t know if I’d have one in the house,” said her mother, “she’s just so clumsy and so...big. Look at her sweating under her uniform. Do you have to hose her down after work?”

The three ladies giggled behind their hands at the idea of the English girl being hosed down like a farmyard animal.

Alison’s limited Chinese meant that she could understand almost nothing of the conversation.  Despite the fact that the Yang’s employed a great many servants and retainers, Alison continually felt isolated and alone. That said it didn’t really take much to understand that she was, as usual, the butt of their humour. Even the young girl who she thought might have been an ally was, she suspected, laughing at her. How her back ached as she was forced to kneel erect but with her eyes looking down. As if noticing her for the first time her mistress leaned slightly forward and took the heavy jug from the tray. She filled her own glass to the brim and then replaced it on the tray. Alison remained on her knees and then shuffled across to the older of the two guests. The woman poured herself a drink and Alison moved across to what she assumed was the daughter.

“What’s your name, servant girl?”

Alison heard English spoken so infrequently that it took her a couple of seconds to reply.”

“Err...It’s Alison, Miss. Alison Templeman-Davies”

Lily was pleased that the huge Western girl addressed her with respect.  “Your mistress tells me that you were at school with Yang Mi, is that true?”

Alison kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground by the girl’s feet. “Yes miss.”

“She also tells me that you used to bully Yang Mi?”

“That’s true miss, and I deeply regret my disgraceful behaviour . I am currently working under the tutelage of my Governess, Miss Zhao. Together we are endeavouring to improve my behaviour.”

She was becoming so conditioned by her treatment that those phrases now just rolled off her tongue. But now she did really believe what she was saying. Miss Zhao had patiently explained to her many times, every action one takes creates a consequence. She had bullied poor defenceless Yang Mi and now she was paying the price. She understood the fact that she was beholding to the entire Yang clan and to Yang Mi in particular.

“But now you are being punished for your outrageous behaviour?”

“Yes Miss, I am Miss.”

She felt the girl’s finger under her chin and obediently raised her head to look at her. She had a cold, expressionless face. She wasn’t ugly but she certainly wasn’t beautiful like Yang Mi.

“My mother and I are here for a number of days. I’m going to ask your mistress if I might cane you before we leave. I’ve often thought about how the older girls at my school could benefit from a good caning. Perhaps I will use your backside as practise. Now take your fat stinking, ugly Gweilo body out of my sight.”

Carefully Alison got to her feet and curtsied in front of the three Chinese ladies before resuming her position in the sun. She could feel the tears streaming down her warm cheeks but she daren’t let go of the tray to wipe her face, even for a few seconds. She checked she was in the correct position and then tried to remain motionless and at attention until her mistress required her attention.

Lily looked at herself appreciatively in the full length mirror. Carefully she adjusted her tie until it sat just so. She picked up her leather gloves and put them in her hat, with the other hand she picked up her plaited leather whip. Giving herself a last admiring glance she strode purposefully outside to where her mount was tethered.

Crouched on all fours in the dust, Alison watched the young mistress approach. The Chinese girl was immaculately kitted out in full riding gear, gleaming brown leather boots, skin tight white breeches, a pristine white shirt and a blue tie. Her hair was bound in a single braid and she carried her hat and her whip. She could feel herself shiver despite the heat. Lily scared her; she was cruel and humourless and clearly enjoyed inflicting pain. Somehow she had convinced Mistress Yang to allow her to train Alison as an animal.

Lily laid her whip across the crouching girl’s back. She removed her yellow leather gloves and put her riding hat on her head. Slowly she drew each yellow leather glove onto her tiny hands. When she was quite ready she took the little bridle that was attached to a leather bit wedged into Alison’s mouth. She tapped the crop against Alison’s skin tight knickers.

“Walk.”

She gave a sharp tug to the lead and Alison stumbled along at her heel. Lily led her captive around in a couple of circles. She would have preferred her Western pony to be naked, but for the sake of propriety she wore a pair of blue gym knickers and a tight white vest. Her only concession to comfort was a pair of leather kneepads.

“Stop.”

Carefully Lily mounted the kneeling girl and made herself comfortable. She grasped the reins tightly and dug her knees in,

“Walk.”

Alison crawled forward. The weight of the young Chinese girl was hardly noticeable, but the sense of shame was certainly heartfelt. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a couple of kitchen maids pointing and giggling behind their hands. An elderly gardener was loitering nearby in the hope of catching a glimpse of her large wobbling Western posterior. A firmer slap to her right buttock and a tug at her reins told her the direction that Lily wished to take. Eventually the rider and her unusual mode of transport pulled up in front of Madame Liang and Madame Yang. Both ladies were greatly amused by the show that was being put on for them.

“I have to say Lily that training the girl as a pony for Mi was a very good idea, my daughter will be so pleased when she returns from her holiday.”

“Thank you Madame Yang for giving me the opportunity. It strikes me that it may be her true position. Surely she is too big and clumsy to be allowed in your beautiful house?  If she were mine I would stable her permanently.”

Switching to English she continued for Alison’s benefit, “If you were mine, you ugly fat beast I’d take the cane to you on a regular basis. No more fine maid’s uniform for you. I’d have you permanently depilated and naked apart from maybe a coolie hat. Then I’d set you to labour in the fields from dawn till dusk, just like all the other peasants.”

What upset Alison the most was that this tirade was delivered with a cold, chilling certainty. This wasn’t merely a childish outburst, Alison had no doubt that given the opportunity, Lily would do just what she had threatened.

Alison was so happy when Mi returned from her summer holiday. The Chinese girl looked relaxed and refreshed. She was beautifully dressed and seemed to glow with health.

“Did you miss me, Templeman-Davies?” asked Mi.

“Yes, Miss Yang I have been looking forward to your return.”

Although the response was automatic, it was extremely heartfelt. Alison realised how much she missed the beautiful young girl when she wasn’t around. Being treated like a maid wasn’t good but it was far better than being treated as a beast of burden. Even though the horrible Lily Liang hadn’t yet carried out her threat to cane her, Alison had to live with the possibility on a daily basis.

“I have been thinking about your situation, Templeman-Davies. Soon I will be returning to Bradfield to finish my final year, I am to be Head Girl by the way. The question is what to do with you?  I have several options of course. The easiest and simplest would be to take you to one of daddy’s horrible mines where you would be employed as a ‘comfort girl’ as I believe the euphemism has it. That place is a five hundred miles north of here and unfortunately it would be the last journey that you’d ever undertake. When this plan was originally conceived that was to be your fate. There would have been record of you anywhere and you would have simply disappeared, another unfortunate sad statistic.

Kneeling at her mistress’s feet Alison Templeman-Davies felt a shudder of fear course through her. The dispassionate way her future had been planned by these people was hardly credible. She looked up at the Chinese girl in mute supplication.

“I have however rejected that solution. Your training has proceeded adequately well; I think I detect a small amount of remorse. So the question remains, how best to deal with you. The reason I encouraged my mother to invite Madame Liang and her daughter to the house was to discover if they might continue your education. Madame Liang would like an English maidservant to decorate her beautiful home. Lily however would like an English pony. She has already told me proudly how she has broken you in. She has also told me that I treat you too leniently and that I should cane you more often. Before she leaves she will beg my mother to allow her to cane you. She will be a very strict mistress, which is perhaps what you need. What do you think Templeman-Davies?”

Alison shook her head, she was almost too shocked to speak.

“B...but please Miss Yang...I don’t want...I mean... if you want...” she stumbled into silence.

“Madame Liang has offered me a surprising amount of money for you.”

Alison was so upset that the tears streamed down her face. How could Yang Mi be so cruel? Would she really sell her to that dreadful girl? Compared to her mistress, Lily was sadistic and heartless and really rather plain. At that instant Alison Templeman-Davies realised that she loved her beautiful, delicate Chinese mistress! The realisation came as such a surprise that she simply looked up at Mi with a shocked look on her face. Was her bullying of Mi a simple desperate cry for recognition, for attention? Had all the conditioning that she had undertaken merely reinforced her suppressed feelings for the Chinese girl?

Mi reached down and wiped a tear from Alison’s cheek. “Don’t cry my pretty Gweilo. I have become accustomed to having you around, and you are not such a terrible house servant. My mother has warned me against it , but my third suggestion is that you accompany me back to England as my personal housemaid. My father has purchased a house for me near to Bradfield. The house is reasonably sized and will need a live-in maid to take care of it. I will also need a personal maid to take care of me. Before you answer I must emphasise that you will remain as my maid, not my friend. You will obey me in all things, and I will not hesitate to discipline you if I think your behaviour warrants it, do you understand me?”

Alison felt her heart swell, there really wasn’t much for her to consider. She simply leaned forward from her kneeling position and kissed the tip of Mi’s beautiful, elegant black high-heeled shoe. She took a moment to inhale the smell of expensive leather before applying her tongue down the length of it. Above her Yang Mi settled herself back contentedly and began to expand on her idea.

“Although I am not unhappy do give you employment and a roof over your head I will be an exacting Mistress. There will be rules, strict rules regarding your duties. Discipline will be firm and punishment will most certainly follow if you make me unhappy. However if you continue to please me then you will be rewarded. My mother was most forthcoming as to how you apparently like to be rewarded.”

Beneath her, Alison blushed to the roots of her hair. The idea of being allowed to pleasure her esteemed mistress in the same way as Madame Yang was both extremely humiliating and extremely exciting.

“There will come a time, Templeman-Davies when I inevitably tire of you. When that time comes I will release you from your debt to my family and you may leave and resume your life. If however you betray me in any way then I implore you to consider the ramifications most carefully. We both know how much Miss Lang would like to acquire a buxom, blonde filly. And if you should become unavailable for any reason...”

Alison felt rather than saw a flutter of paper. She turned her head to see a glossy photograph that had come to rest upside down. Even before she turned it over, Alison knew for sure that she would know the identity of the person in the picture. Sure enough the blonde, smartly suited, confident –looking young woman that looked back at her was her older sister, Hannah.

“I believe we understand each other, Templeman Davies?

Alison turned the photograph face down and turned her attention back to licking her Mistress’s other shoe.

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